Chapter 69: Step back, for I shall give that fellow a stern lesson today.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69: Step back, for I shall give that fellow a stern lesson today.
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Welcome to the Classic Masterpiece [Chunhyangjeon]!
There’s no need to even analyze you, Kim Min-su.
The role that suits you best is [Chunhyangjeon - Lee Mong-ryong]!
Excellent in Literary and Martial Arts.
Outstanding looks.
Brilliant eloquence.
And the noble momentum of a scholar!
Who else but you, Kim Min-su, could play the role of [Lee Mong-ryong]!
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"...?"
As soon as he entered the Gate, Kim Min-su questioned the information window appearing before his eyes.
Chunhyangjeon? Was this the same situation as the Don Quixote Gate from before?
However, seeing as he was assigned a specific role this time, there was bound to be something more detailed.
He didn't know how much this version of [Chunhyangjeon] would differ from the original, but his role as [Lee Mong-ryong] was certain.
Another information window supported Kim Min-su’s reasoning.
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Your role is [Lee Mong-ryong].
In the Classic Masterpiece [Chunhyangjeon], clear conditions vary depending on the assigned role.
Recreate the theme of [Good Rewarded, Evil Punished] by entering into a lifelong marriage vow with [Seong Chun-hyang] and punishing [Magistrate Byun]!
Congratulations on winning the best role!
I wonder if you realize that only you are the most suitable for the role of [Lee Mong-ryong].
Honestly, it might be okay if you don't know. The truth doesn't change.
Skill List for the role of [Lee Mong-ryong]:
:: Excellent in Literary and Martial Arts, Late Bloomer, Secret Royal Inspector Arrives! ::
ㄴExcellent in Literary and Martial Arts (Unique) :: Lee Mong-ryong is a figure who truly embodies the phrase "Excellent in Literary and Martial Arts."
Based on a strong spirit and mental fortitude wise enough to pass the civil service exam with top honors, he possesses the power to monopolize everything he desires!
Wisdom and martial prowess befitting [Lee Mong-ryong] are bestowed upon you!
ㄴLate Bloomer :: "Though your beginning was humble, your end will be prosperous." Lee Mong-ryong is one of the figures this saying suits best.
As the son of a magistrate, he was unable to defy his parents' wishes and went up to Hanyang, but he eventually made a grand appearance after passing the state exam with top honors.
During the early stages of the story, Excellent in Literary and Martial Arts (Unique) will be deactivated. Do not worry, as the effects will multiply over time!
ㄴSecret Royal Inspector Arrives! (Inactive) :: A skill that activates when you become a Secret Royal Inspector after passing the state exam.
Weaken corrupt officials and summon numerous soldiers to deliver a refreshing dose of justice!
The world of the Classic Masterpiece [Chunhyangjeon] begins now.
Do your best, Hero.
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"So that's how it is..."
As expected, there was no one more suited for Lee Mong-ryong than himself.
Kim Min-su nodded a couple of times, muttering to himself.
"Baek Tae-yang is too much of a thug, so if you look at it from a scholar's perspective, I'm definitely the better fit. It's just this... how should I put it..."
He couldn't explain it properly, but anyway, there was just something.
In the first place, the reason he had cried like that in the street wasn't because of the sorrow of a breakup, was it?
It was the result of his fidelity, integrity, and empathy for the pain So Yu-min would suffer from Baek Tae-yang in the future.
He hadn't even liked her that much, and honestly, he had been looking for the right timing to break up anyway.
Having organized his thoughts, Min-su looked around.
He was in a large room with an ornate folding screen, the kind of place a nobleman would occupy in a historical drama.
The Hanbok he was wearing was made of fine silk and had a beautiful luster.
Seeing as there was even a scholar's hat, he was the very picture of a Seonbi.
"Then, shall I go meet Chun-hyang as the original story goes..."
It didn't matter if Excellent in Literary and Martial Arts was deactivated.
If he was a person suited for Lee Mong-ryong, wouldn't he be wise even without such things?
He was chosen for the role because he was the most suitable for the wise Lee Mong-ryong, even without skills.
Naturally, his judgment had to be correct.
"Ahem... Is anyone there?"
He wasn't one to watch much TV, but it was a line anyone would remember at least once.
With his hands haughtily behind his back, he opened the door and stepped out, walking with the grace of a crane.
"Yes, My Lord. Did you call?"
"Uh... yeah... Let's go to Chun-hyang."
"Yes, I will have everything prepared."
Was it said that a nobleman does not bend his body even when putting on shoes?
He grabbed a strap hanging from the ceiling and slipped into his shoes.
He wanted to coolly hold something like a long pipe in his mouth, but none were in sight.
Leaving his regret behind, he mounted a horse following the servant's guidance.
"Lately, the rumors regarding Chun-hyang have been bad. Following your father's words, perhaps it would be best to reduce your meetings..."
"You rascal! Do you dare try to lecture me?!"
"Oh, no, of course not. How could I be so reckless? I only meant..."
"I don't want to hear it."
"Understood."
Looking at the situation, it seemed it was just before he had to leave for Hanyang according to the plot of Chunhyangjeon.
Thinking that made him feel even more indignant.
I should enjoy myself as much as I can before I go!
He wanted to meet Chun-hyang right this instant and do this and that.
In the novel, Seong Chun-hyang was always described as a peerless beauty or the most beautiful gisaeng, but there were never any detailed descriptions.
Perhaps because it was a classic novel, even the illustrations were so old-fashioned that he couldn't be satisfied.
He had heard that the original version of Chunhyangjeon actually contained many erotic scenes.
"Then maybe I can...? Hehehe..."
"Did you say something, sir?"
"Ahem, it's nothing."
The words must have slipped out unconsciously.
Min-su looked around and surrendered his body to the rhythm of the horse.
Based on Lee Mong-ryong's memories, he could tell if the servant was properly guiding him to the gisaeng house.
This is definitely a place where I can't let my guard down.
No matter how concept-based it was, an S-Class Gate was still an S-Class Gate.
There was no way it would end with just being lovey-dovey with Chun-hyang and performing a role.
There was surely something more that he didn't know yet.
Since he couldn't find out at this stage, he had to identify the characters first.
Not bad, right?
It was a thought that came a bit late, but it wasn't a bad plan.
Min-su nodded, once again convinced that he was indeed the perfect fit for Lee Mong-ryong.
Watching Kim Min-su, the servant kept his expression firm while thinking to himself.
Why is he nodding his head so much today?
The servant was worried that his young master might have contracted an incurable disease.
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"How long do you think you can keep refusing guests? Do you think that high-and-mighty magistrate's son can protect you forever?"
"It is not that, it is just that I have promised to only share a bed with the man I have entered into a marriage vow with..."
"That's exactly why I'm saying you've lost your mind. Do you think everyone else doesn't want to do the same? Everyone has someone they promised that to, but they still take guests. Why? Because they can't marry a nobleman's son. Do you think this is fair?"
"...If you wait just a little longer, he will come to take my hand in marriage."
"As if the Pimp would ever allow that."
Seong Chun-hyang.
The daughter of the nobleman Seong Cham-pan and the gisaeng Wolmae, she was a representative figure who broke through the barriers of social status.
She, too, was in a love that transcended status, and because she was the daughter of a noble house, her noble aura was not that of a common gisaeng.
However, even she had someone she feared: the Pimp.
"If you're a gisaeng's brat, you're a gisaeng. Why? Did you think you could change your fate? Do you think I can't kill your parents and that brat of a man you're following around? I'll kill them all and then I can die too. Would you like that? If so, keep living like this. I'll make sure you watch with your own eyes as I turn your mother into pickled fish."
Chun-hyang still couldn't sleep when she thought of that time.
Sometimes, the Pimp would even appear in her dreams and roar at her.
Those words—that she could never escape being a gisaeng, the very words that dragged her to this house—were always wrapped around her neck like a snare.
What if she told her family that the Pimp had said such things? What if she told Lee Mong-ryong?
It wouldn't be solved.
If he were such an easy person to deal with, she wouldn't have been dragged to the gisaeng house in the first place.
If she showed even the slightest hint of strange behavior, the other gisaengs would surely inform the Pimp.
The Pimp was a man who truly showed what he was capable of when he made a point.
He was a man with an alien energy, different from being merely violent, fierce, or bellicose.
Just thinking about that time again made her face flush and her body tremble.
She had been managing to avoid taking guests by coaxing the Pimp and giving him large sums of money, but there was a limit.
Every time he demanded more money, her balance dwindled rapidly, and now it was truly time to take guests.
Furthermore, the gisaeng she had just spoken with—no, every gisaeng in the Gibang—was targeting her.
They were likely looking for any flaw to report, even if it meant sleeping with the Pimp themselves.
"Chun-hyang, where are you?"
"Good grief, he hasn't even taken her hair up yet, and he's already acting up."
At Lee Mong-ryong's voice, the surrounding gisaengs whispered.
Chun-hyang decided she had to leave this place quickly.
Right now was the time when the Pimp would be sleeping, so her movements were relatively free.
Perhaps today would be the last time they could meet.
"My Lord, you've come? Let's go outside and talk first."
For now, she focused on eating the grapes before her eyes.
Even if it was a dream, she hoped this moment wouldn't break as she mounted the horse with Lee Mong-ryong.
Holding his waist tightly, they arrived at a pavilion where a cool breeze blew; she felt she could die without regrets.
"Chun-hyang, I like you so much."
"...I'm embarrassed."
"Uhehehehehe."
She wondered if his laughter had always been this frivolous, but that wasn't important right now.
What mattered was being together, laughing, chatting, and sharing their hearts.
Though they hadn't shared a bed yet and were only bound by a marriage vow, still, someday...
Thinking of that time made her so shy that her body twisted.
But as time flows, the moment of parting always approaches.
"Hey, you wench! Everyone in the Gibang is busy trying to take guests, does it make sense for you to be out here like this by yourself?"
As if dark clouds had suddenly cast a shadow over a clear sky.
As if mocking their love, the situation Chun-hyang feared most occurred.
"Haha... What kind of butcher-like fellow calls my wife a wench? You must be taught a very stern lesson."
"My Lord, that man is very dangerous. I will handle things here, so..."
Mong-ryong showed no sign of backing down even after seeing the Pimp.
Her heart warmed at his protective attitude, but that was only for a moment.
Since this kind of situation had repeated several times, the Pimp would no longer be patient.
Chun-hyang thought she must never let a fight break out between the two.
"Step back, for I shall give that fellow a stern lesson today."
"Chun-hyang, you're finally making things difficult. You brazen whore."
"You scoundrel! Do you insult my wife once again?!"
"No!"
Before she could stop Mong-ryong, he lunged at the Pimp.
Please!
Chun-hyang clasped her hands and prayed.
Since it had come to this, she desperately hoped to the heavens that Mong-ryong would defeat the Pimp.